Stocking



(No Mddeh) ADAMS.

STOCKING AND THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME.

N 5L6 5. Patented Jan. 8,1882.

N. PETERS. Pboln-Lilhugnphon Washinglan. llC,

UNITED; STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JOHN ADAMS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

STOCKING, AND THE. METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No..251,685, dated January 3, 1882.

Application filed November 1, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN ADAMS, of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Stockings and in the Method of lllanut'acturing the Same, of which'the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of stockings in which the heel and toe are formed by cutting or shaping tubular or plain knitted t'abric, or by knitting heel and toe pieces of proper form and folding and joining the cut or severed edges of said out or knit portions; and the object of myinvention is to produce a heel and toe of round and smooth outline.

My invention consists in providing the edge of a partly-severed tube of knitted fabric, or the edge of a partly-severed flat fabric adaptt ed to be formed into a tube, and the end of suchtnbe or fabric which is to form the toe, each with a projectingT-shaped piece of knitted fabric, and in folding, seaming, or uniting said projections, to form the heel and toe, respectively,in such manner that the end edge of the central portion of each of said projections and the side edges of each ot the side portions of said projections, respectively, are joined to the edge of I the tube or labric, and the end edges of the side portions are joined, to the respective side edges of the central portions of said projections, respectively, as is hereinafter fully described and claimed. I

I amaware that it has heretofore been proposed to cut and fold and secure the out portions of knitted fabric to form the toe and heel of a stocking; but I am not aware that it has I been possible to form a well-rounded heel and toe by the methods heretofore employed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspect-ive of a stocking embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a partly-severed tube of fabric. Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the severed tube of Fig. 2 bent to form a stocking, and provided with T-shaped heel and toe pieces or projections. Fig. 4 is a view in perspective, showing theheel and toe pieces of Fig. 3 folded and the edges thereof joined to form the heel and toe of a stocking. In the drawings similar letters denote like parts.

A represents a tubular fabric, partly severed, on the line say. From this severed tube a stocking provided with a round heel and too is produced in the following manner: The loops of one edge of the slit 0: y are set up on a knitting-machine of any suitable kind, and to this edge is knitted a T-shaped projection or heelpiece, B, having a central portion, 0, and two equal and like-shaped side portions, D and E. The tube is thenbent into the form shown in Fig. 3, by which the edges al cl andl be of the side portions, D E, of the heel-piece E are caused to meet the edge of that part of the severed tube which is to form the foot of the stocking. The dimensions of the middle and side portions of the heel-piece are such that the aggreto the length of the edges f cand-eJI respect;7o V

ively. Such being the form and dimension of the heel-piece, it is folded or bent in such manner that the point his brought into contact with the point 0, and the point 9 into contact with the point d, with the result that the line of the edges a d, g h, and I) c of the heel-piece coincide with the line a b of the severed tube, and the linesfh and egcoincide with thelines f0 and e 61, respectively, as shown in Fig. 4.

The seams of the heel are made or joined by aseaming-machine, or byother suitable means. The toe is formed in a similar manner -that is to say, a toe piece or projection, T, of like form as the heel piece,and having dimensions proportioned in like manner, is knitted upon the upper half of the periphery of the end of the tube which is to form the toe, as shown in Fig. 3. This-toe-piece is so folded that the lines of theedges 0p and n q are caused to coincide with the lines o m and M, respectively,

and the lines 7cm,p q, and Z with the line Icj of the edge of-the tube, as shown in Fig. 4.

The heel and toe pieces may be formed upon tubular fabric, as described, or upon partlys'evered flat fabric of suitable outline or shape, 9 5

for the formation of a tube for the manufacture of a stocking before it is formed into such tube, and it is evident that pocket or pouch shaped parts of other articles may be formed in the manner above described without depart- 1o:

ing from my invention.

The fabrication of the toe and heel pieces 5 are round and easy in outline, are devoid of straight lines and angular corners, andhave the seams thereof so disposed as to be most comfortable to the wearer.

I am aware that stockings have been made to in which the heel and toe have beenformed by projections formed on a slitted tube of knitted fabric; but I am not aware that projections having equal and like shaped sideportions and of the configurations as described have been used.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. A stockinginwhichapartly-severed tube of knitted fabrlc, or a partly-severed flat fabric adapted to be formed into a tube, is combined with a T-shaped heel-piece, B, having a central portion, 0, and two equal and like shaped side portions, D E, said central portion being folded, seamed, or united at its end h g to the edge of the partly-severed tube or fabric, and the side portions,DE,being folded and seamed or united to the severed fabric and to the folded central portion, 0', in such manner that 0 their side edges, a d and b c, are joined to the edge of the severed fabric, and their end edges, 0 d and f c, are joined to the side edges, hf and cg, of the central portion, 0, of said projection.

2. A sto ckin'g in which thetoe'is formed by a f 3 5 T shaped projection, having a central portion,

T, and two equal and like shaped side portions, X Y, on a tube of knitted fabric, or upon a flat fabric adapted to be formed into a tube, said central portion of said T-shaped projec- 0 tion being folded, seamed, or united to said fabric or tube in such manner that its end edge, 1) q, is joined to the severed edge of said fabric, and said side portions, X Y, of said projection being folded, seamed, and united to said 7 tube or fabric in such manner that their side edges are joined to the edge of the severed fabric, and their end edges, 0 m and Z n, are joined to the side edges, 0 p and n q, of the central portion of said projection.

' 5o- 3. The mode herein described of forming the heel of a sock or stocking, which consists in providing apartly-sevcred tube, A, of a knitted fabric, or a partly-severed flat fabric adapted to be formed into a tube,with a projectingT-shaped heel-piece having a central portion, 0, and two equal and like shaped side portions, D E, and in folding, seaming, or uniting said heel-piece to the tube or fabric in such manner that the end edge, kg, of the central portion, 0, isjoiued to the edge of the tube or fabric, and the side edges, a d and b c, of the side portions, D E, arejoined to the edge of the tube or fabric, and the end edges,f'c and e d, of the side portions, D E, are joined to the respective side edges,fh and e g, of the central portion.

4. The mode herein described of forming the toe of the sock or st'ocking, which consists in providing the end of a tube of knitted fabric, or the end of a piece of knitted fabric adapted to form a tube, with a T-shaped projection having a central portion, T, and two equal and like shaped side portions, KY, and in folding. seaming, or uniting said T-sh'a'ped projection to the tube or fabric in such manner that the end edge,p q, of the central portion, T, isjoined to the edge of the tube or fabric, and the side edges, m lo and lj, of the side portions, X Y,

are joined to the edge of the tube or fabric, and the end edges, 0 m and l n, of the side portions are joined to the respective side edges, op and a q, of the central portion.

5. The method of forming a pocket or pouch shaped portion of a knitted fabric, which consists in providingthe edge of the fabric which forms the outline of the plain side of said pocket or pouch with a T-shaped projection, having acentral portion and two equal and like shaped side portions, and in foldingand securing said T-shaped projection to said first-named fabric, which forms the plain side of said pocket, in

such manner that the end edge of the central portionof said,projecti on is joined to the edge of the fabric, and the side edges of the side portions of said projection are joined to the edge of the fabric, and the end edges of the side portion of said projection arejoined to the respective side edges of the central portion of said projection. I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed.

my name this 28th day of October, A.D. 1881. [00

JOHN ADAMS.

In presence of- WM. 0. STRAWBRIDGE, J. BoNsALLTAYLoR. 

